[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Lent 5A

[Joe Parrish]

Forwarded:





-----Original Message-----
From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>
Sent: Sat, Apr 9, 2011 8:07 pm
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Lent 5A


Dear Friends,
Tomorrow’s sermon is entitled “He’s an On-Time God” or “Them Bones”
and deals with the Old Testament lesson (Ezekiel 37: 1-14) and the
gospel (John 11: 1-45).  Here it is:

I absolutely love the story we just read- it sometimes brings tears to
my eyes, because there’s so very much wisdom in it and it lets us see,
just a little bit, into the amazing mind of God.  The first half of
the episode points out what we believe- that our God is in charge and
that he is an on-time God.  Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were good
friends, so when Lazarus got deathly ill, they simply assumed they
could send for their good friend Jesus to heal their brother.  After
all, Jesus was known for his healing powers, and if he could heal
complete strangers, he could certainly extend himself to heal a good
friend.  Problem- they sent for Jesus, but he didn’t come for four
days.  It probably took one day for the messenger from Mary and Martha
to arrive.  Then Jesus waited two days.  He had to decide if he would
risk his ministry on this dangerous trip, because the last time he was
in Jerusalem he was almost stoned to death.  Then it probably took a
day’s travel to get there- long walk!  What’s so special about four
days?  There was a Jewish tradition that that the soul hovered around
the body for three days after death and then left.  So, by the fourth
day- this was a hopeless cause.  Other cultures had the same
understanding- for good reason.  We have wakes.  You know how the
custom of a wake started?  In England, lead cups were often used when
people drank alcoholic beverages.  The lead combined with lots of
alcohol could really knock the drinker out.  To keep from burying a
live person, the “body” was laid out on the kitchen table and the
family and friends would sit around eating, drinking, and waiting for
a couple of days to see if the person would “wake” up.  But after four
days- no way!  Dead is dead, and in fact- in that heat- dead is very
smelly.  You noticed, when the sisters saw Jesus- the first thing they
said was an accusation: “If you had been here, my brother would not
have died!”  But Jesus wasn’t late- he was right on time, because
God’s amazing power was about to be proclaimed; and when Jesus said,
“I am the way, the truth, and the life”- all anyone had to do was open
their eyes and see it.

The last half of the story is where the rubber hits the road- it’s
about living what we believe.  It’s about this- do we really believe
God is in charge?  Well then, prove it by our lives.  Take risks for
God.  Don’t panic when things aren’t going the way you want.  Stay
faithful and trust God.  All of these elements are in the rest of the
story- watch.  What had to happen if God was going to work a miracle
and restore Lazarus to life?  Mary and Martha had to take the risk of
their lives.  They had to obey Jesus when he told them to roll the
stone away.  Under ordinary circumstances, what would have met them as
soon as that stone produced even a small gap into the tomb?  Smell!
The ghastly smell of rotting human flesh!  Have you ever smelled a
pack of ground beef when it’s been in the refrigerator too long?  Now
look- ground beef is bad enough; but if the smell is coming from your
beloved brother’s decomposing body- that’s too much to bear!  What’s
that song- “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in
Jesus but to trust and obey”- easier said than done.

There’s one more significant part of this episode.  After Jesus
shouted, “Lazarus, come out,” what is the next thing Jesus said to
do?  “Untie him and let him go.”  Some translations say, “Unbind him
and let him go free.”  Just as Lazarus had to be released from those
restrictive burial wrappings, so must we.  One of the most important
jobs of Lent is to identify those left-over trappings of death to
which we still cling.  We work at it.  We stop smoking or drinking too
much, overeating, swearing, having destructive attitudes, overly
trying to control others and have our own way.  We start praying five
times a day, spending time with God, reading the Bible and other
helpful literature.  We work at all sorts of habits- cutting out the
bad and starting the good.  But- we’ve got to stay unbound.  The Old
Testament lesson from the prophet Ezekiel speaks of dry bones.  Did
you know that there are three kinds of bones that will help us stay
unbound and free: the wishbone, the jawbone, and the backbone.  The
wishbone lets us have a wish- a vision of where we’re going, what we
want to accomplish or who we ultimately want to be.  What’s your
vision?  What kind of person do you want to be in two years?  You’ve
got to have vision.  The jawbone gets us data, knowledge, wisdom.
How?  Our jawbone asks.  It’s arrogant to try to figure out life on
our own.  That’s why St. Paul reminds us that we are each only a small
part of the body of Christ.  You’ve got to have knowledge and wisdom.
Finally- the backbone- you know what that is.  You’ve got to have the
backbone to stand up for what you know is right, no matter what.
Everybody else is doing it- so what!  You do what’s right.  You made a
promise without thinking?  Either keep that promise or call the person
and tell them.  You want to do something that you know is wrong, but
no one will see?  Two someones will see- you and God.  Something that
is not good for you is just calling your name?  Tell Satan to move out
of the way, and then focus on something positive.

May God bless us with wishbones- a vision of God’s desires for us,
jawbones- the wisdom to ask and listen for the answers, and backbone-
the power to live what we believe.  Amen.

For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updated African-American
wisdom statements are posted on our parish web site. The address is:
http://www.stpaulsepisag.com .

Blessed preaching.
Judy Boli
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Saginaw, Michigan


 
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